Richard (Dic) Donohue, the ­Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority police officer injured in the April 15 chase of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, appeared on CBS This Morning May 14 from his bed at Mount Auburn Hospital.

Donohue said he will be able to leave the hospital and enter a rehabilitation facility once he is no longer connected to a feeding tube. He has expressed an interest in returning to duty as soon as it is possible to do so.

He earlier released this statement:

“I cannot begin to properly thank everyone involved in my recovery, as many fearless individuals stepped up and acted heroically that night. To start I must thank my brothers from the Transit, Boston, Harvard, Watertown, Cambridge, and [Massachusetts] State Police, as well as fire department personnel and the various other first responders, all of whom put their own lives on the line to save mine. In the midst of a firefight they dropped to the ground and assisted me when I was shot.

“My family got through those first few days through the community’s ­outpouring of prayers and endless support. I am told that when I arrived at the hospital I had almost no blood and no pulse, and the team of medical experts at Mount Auburn miraculously brought me back to life. I am now awake, moving around, talking, and telling jokes (much to my wife’s dismay).

“I am able to walk briefly through the use of a walker. My pain varies day to day and I still have a long road of rehab and recovery ahead, but I am optimistic I’ll recover back to 100 percent. The bullet will remain in my leg as it is not obstructing anything or causing any pain. However, my wife has informed me that the bullet will ultimately cause her the most pain, as I will be using it to get out of things such as mowing the lawn, doing laundry, and painting the deck.”

Donohue also noted that Sean Collier, the MIT police officer killed during the same incident, was a friend of his from the police academy. “There is not a single day we are not thinking or speaking of Sean,” he said in his statement. “And we are certain Sean was watching over me and assisted in saving my life. He could not save himself that night, but Sean could save me.”

MBTA General Manager Beverly A. Scott, Ph.D., added: “I can’t say enough about the courage and professionalism displayed by ­Officer ­Donohue.  His recovery has been ­nothing short of miraculous, and he serves as an inspiration to everyone here at the MBTA.”

The MBTA has established a fund to collect donations. More information is available here.

MBTA Police Officer Richard Donohue in his room at Mount Auburn Hospital. Visible at left is a hockey jersey signed by Patrice Bergeron, who led the Boston Bruins to a come-from-behind victory April 13 in the seventh game of the Bruins’ series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.